Goehring extends grants deadline

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has extended the deadline to May 9 for the second round of grants to help landowners enhance their property and restore habitat damaged by overland flooding, erosion, and infestation by noxious and invasive species.

“The Land Enhancement and Habitat Renewal Program is designed to help private landowners restore their land or to make it more productive,” Goehring said. “The program will provide up to 50 percent reimbursement of most costs associated with reclamation, landscaping, soil conditioning, revegetation and weed control.”
Proposed projects must involve land that has at least 10 percent woody vegetation or be adjacent to wooded vegetation. Control of noxious weeds and invasive species is the focus of all proposed projects.

Goehring said $50,000 is available for this year’s program. Last year, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture distributed 11 grants totaling $40,000.

Application forms and a complete description of requirements are available on the NDDA website at www.nd.gov/ndda or by calling Chelsey Penuel at 701-328-2983.

“We’ve extended the deadline to allow more time for people to assess the problems and needs for this fairly new program,” Goehring said. “Each application will be judged on its merits and on a case-by-case basis.”

Goehring said priority will be given to projects that:
* Work cooperatively with state and private landowners
* Employ Best Management Practices
* Restore habitat
* Prevent and reduce the establishment of noxious and invasive weeds
* Utilize integrated pest management
* Enhance future land use and access